To have been “racially” profiled by HR

[Donotfitin]

I don’t have a British name (like at all), so HR assumed I needed a right to work code, so asked for one, rather than asking if I was a citizen or not.

As a UK citizen I only need to provide my passport, so the whole thing took me completely by surprise!

Its the first time in my whole life that it was assumed that I wasn’t a citizen. I’ve

And did your organisation always ask the wrong question?

OP this is Mumsnet. Any allegation of racism or xenophobia is denied and defended and twisted to make the OP seem unreasonable. There’s no point posting for advice and support when it comes to those issues.

The issue was obvious from your first post. Someone with a British sounding name would not have been asked for a code. They made that assumption about you, and that isn’t pleasant, as it’s another reminder that you don’t truly belong here.

Sorry OP, hope you can brush this one off easily.

Mumsnet posters tend to assume nothing is ever racist and you’re just being over the top. That question is asked as part of an onboarding process at my firm but only if you don’t say yes to being a British citizen first. It is an online form rather than an individual asking so it does arguably sound like HR have assumed incorrectly based on your name.

You are completely right op and are getting quite a heard time. Not ok at all. What did they say when you got back to them?

How rude! I’d be cross too. I think I would play stupid a bit and embarrass them (as long as you don’t think it would affect the job offer if you still really want it).
I’d try ‘sorry I tried to follow the link but I can’t generate a share code for you as I don’t have an eVisa’ or BRP’. Then see what they come back with and see how long you can keep it up before they work out you are a citizen.

Lots of posters missing the point - the employer is absolutely right to ask for proof of right to work, whether that be proof of citizenship or the relevant code, but what’s potentially happened here is that the employer has automatically assumed OP doesn’t have a UK passport because of their name, which is not good.

OP, I’d definitely follow the advice of the poster who suggested finding out more information, as if it’s a mis-click in the application that means it’s flagged the wrong thing for them to ask for, problem solved.

If that hasn’t happened and they have actively asked you for the wrong thing solely based on your name, it’s not racial profiling in the sense that you haven’t been discriminated against (i.e they haven’t withdrawn the offer) but it is a very poor candidate experience that’s been caused by their bias (they would likely argue unconscious, I would say some of it might be conscious!). My partner has experienced this so many times they’ve now taken to just contracting their surname in job applications as it sounds British when the full name isn’t spelled out. Very frustrating!

So the OP isn’t allowed to be upset because your staff are too stupid not to assume things based on a name?

Behave. That's not remotely what OP is concerned about and you know it.

I'm gobsmacked at the number of posters who think this is perfectly fine, happens to everyone, gosh, you people are just looking for something to be offended by. Everyone knows you're meant to supply proof of the right to work in the UK. OP doesn't need that to be explained for the nth time.
I couldn't say whether it's racism or incompetence at the root of this. It's certainly one or the other.

They’ve always asked here but usually with no assumptions or error.

I think it depends how they show it. They are staff who have made a mistake, probably the lowest paid staff.

If it was me, I would respond with "I have no idea what you are asking for."
Make them come back once they have recognised their error.

I absolutely did not say you people, you did. I just understand people make mistakes and thats ok. There is currently a thread running about people making mistakes at work. This is normal, people aren't perfect. Choosing to be offended by a person's mistake is op choice.

Piss poor form form the HR department. I would also reply asking what they're on about to make them realise their error.

Yes, it's an acknowledgement rather than assumption though. And I honestly don't mind at all, because it's not shameful.

Let’s stop putting the onus on the person on the receiving end and policing and dictating how they should act and feel and instead put the onus on the person in the wrong.

The person who made the error isn't on this thread. The person choosing to waste her energy on this and stress herself out it. Sometimes you really do have to just let things go otherwise you are going to have a very stressful life

🥱

Its quite easy to be a bit 🤔 about things without getting unnecessarily stressed over them. op hasnt indicated shes stressed over this.

i think companies who pull stupid stunts like this deserve all the flack they can get.

It is super easy for the HR team to write a company wide email to ask for your passport or the share code. and then they can sit back and just take the info they need without looking like racist jerks.

and they can also deal with the brits without passports giving them grief over it.

I would absolutely point it out - its irrelevant that this might be the most junior person in the organisation, it's a fundamental onboarding process and at best they are making a pigs ear out of their legal obligations and at worse they are offending a new hire

In case you wondered what I did, I sent a photo of my passport and said “I don’t think I could get a code as a citizen” and was happy to help if anything else was needed.

I’m white British, with an obviously British name, and I’m always asked to provide my right to work. I thought that was just a thing when you started a new contract.

Its absolutely a thing. Thats not what op is posting about.

<Bangs head on table>